Type 054A frigate vs Type 23 frigate: Specs Compared

Type 054A frigate — licensed reference photograph

AWarships

Type 054A frigate

Frigate

Credit

日本防衛省・統合幕僚監部 · CC BY 4.0 · Resized · CC BY 4.0 · Source ↗ · Modified

Type 23 frigate — licensed reference photograph

BWarships

Type 23 frigate

Anti-submarine warfare frigate

Credit

Vicki Benwell, Royal Navy · OGL v1.0 · Resized · OGL v1.0 · Source ↗ · Modified

First system

Second system

At a glance

Side by side

Length comparisonOne shared metre scale

Type 054A frigateLength

134 m

Length source ↗

Type 23 frigateLength

133 m

Length source ↗

Lengths retain their source configuration and measurement scope.

Type 054A frigatelarger figure on 1 of 3

Length+1%

Type 23 frigatelarger figure on 2 of 3

Beam+1%
Draught+46%

Counts only measures both sources give with the same scope. A larger figure is not a better system.

Measured figures

Head to head

21 of 30 rows sourced on both sides

134m

133m

Length+1%

All recorded figures & sources

134 m

Length

Single source

134 m (440 ft)^[source]

133 m

Length

Single source

133.0 m (436 ft 4 in)^[source]

16m

16.1m

Beam+1%

All recorded figures & sources

16 m

Beam

Single source

16 m (52 ft)^[source]

16.1 m

Beam

Single source

16.1 m (52 ft 10 in)^[source]

7.3m

Draught+46%

All recorded figures & sources

5 m

Draught

Single source

5 m (16 ft)^[source]

7.3 m

Draught

Single source

7.3 m (23 ft 11 in)^[source]

3,963tfull

4,900t

Displacement

All recorded figures & sources

3,963 tonnes

full

Single source

3,963 tonnes (full)^[source]

4,900 tonnes

Displacement

Single source

4,900 t (4,800 long tons )^[source]

180Unspecified

—

Crew

All recorded figures & sources

180 people

Unspecified

Single source

180人^[source]Unspecified

—

185accommodation for up to 205

Complement

All recorded figures & sources

185 people

accommodation for up to 205

Single source

185 (accommodation for up to 205)^[source]

50km/hMaximum; Speed

> 52km/hMaximum; In excess of

SpeedScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

50 km/h

Maximum; Speed

Single source

27 knots (50 km/h)^[source]

> 52 km/h

Maximum; In excess of

Single source

In excess of 28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph)^[source]

7,000kmestimated at 18 kn (33 km/h; 21 mph)

14,000kmat 15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph)

RangeScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

7,000 km

estimated at 18 kn (33 km/h; 21 mph)

Single source

3,800 nautical miles (4,400 mi; 7,000 km) estimated at 18 kn (33 km/h; 21 mph)^[source]

14,000 km

at 15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph)

Single source

7,500 nmi (14,000 km; 9,000 mi) at 15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph)^[source]

Bars compare reported quantities only. A larger figure does not make a system better; configurations and test conditions differ.

Configuration

Details

Type 054A frigate and Type 23 frigate configuration
Specification	Type 054A frigate	Type 23 frigate
Power	CODAD , 4 × SEMT Pielstick 16 PA 6V 280 STC diesels, 20.7 MW (28,200 hp) total, 2 shafts^[source]	CODLAG : 4 × 1,510 kW (2,025 hp) Paxman Valenta 12CM diesel generators (Non-PGMU ships) 4 × 1,650 kW (2,210 shp) MTU 12V4000 M53 diesel generators (PGMU ships) 2 × GEC electric motors delivering 2,980 kW (3,996 hp) each 2 × Rolls-Royce Marine Spey SM1C delivering 19,500 kW (26,150 hp)^[source]
Builders	Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard Huangpu Shipyard^[source]	Yarrow Shipbuilders and Swan Hunter^[source]
Operators	People's Liberation Army Navy China Coast Guard Pakistan Navy^[source]	Royal Navy Chilean Navy^[source]
Preceded by	Type 054 frigate^[source]	Type 22-class frigate^[source]
Succeeded by	Type 054B frigate^[source]	Type 26-class frigate Type 31-class frigate^[source]
Subclasses	Tughril class (Pakistan) Type 818 Cutter (China Coast Guard)^[source]	—
Cost	US$348 million (est. 2015)^[source]	£130 million per ship^[source]
Built	2005–present^[source]	—
In commission	2008–present^[source]	24 November 1987^[source]
Planned	50^[source]	16^[source]
Active	46^[source]	5 Royal Navy, 3 Chilean Navy^[source]
Type	Frigate^[source]	Anti-submarine warfare frigate^[source]
Sensors & processing systems	Type 382 Radar Type 344 Radar (Mineral-ME Band Stand ) target acquisition and SSM fire control radar 4 × MR-90 Front Dome SAM fire control radars MR-36A surface search radar, I-band Type 347G 76 mm gun fire control radar 2 × Racal RM-1290 navigation radars, I-band MGK-335 medium frequency active/passive sonar system H/SJG-206 towed array sonar ZKJ-4B/6 (developed from Thomson-CSF TAVITAC) combat data system HN-900 Data link (Chinese equivalent of Link 11 A/B, to be upgraded) SNTI-240 SATCOM AKD5000S Ku band SATCOM^[source]	—
Electronic warfare & decoys	2 × Type 726-4 18-tube decoy rocket launchers Type 922-1 radar warning receiver HZ-100 ECM & ELINT system Kashtan-3 missile jamming system^[source]	UAT Mod 1 Seagnat Type 182 towed torpedo decoy Surface Ship Torpedo Defence^[source]
Armament	1 × 32-cell H/AKJ-16 VLS HHQ-16 SAM Yu-8 anti-submarine missile 2 × 4 YJ-83 anti-ship missiles 1 × H/PJ-26 76 mm naval gun (Type 054A and Type 054A+) or 1 x H/PJ-87 100 mm naval gun (Type 054AG) 2 × 30 mm Type 730 7-barrel gun-based CIWS or Type 1130 11-barrel gun-based CIWS 2 × 3 324 mm Yu-7 torpedo launchers 2 × 6 Type 87 240mm anti-submarine rocket launcher^[source]	Anti-air missiles: 1 × 32-cell Sea Ceptor GWS 35 Vertical Launching System (VLS) canisters for 32 missiles (1–25+ km) (replaced original Sea Wolf SAM) Anti-ship missiles: 2 × quad Harpoon Block 1C (originally fit, retired from most ships 2023, retained on F229 as of late 2024); being replaced by Naval Strike Missile (fit to F79, F82 & F239 as of early 2025) Anti-submarine torpedoes: 2 × twin 12.75 in (324 mm) Sting Ray torpedo tubes Guns: 1 × BAE 4.5-inch Mk 8 naval gun 2 × 30 mm DS30M Mk2 guns , or , 2 × 30 mm DS30B guns 2 × Miniguns (replaced by Browning .50 caliber heavy machine guns as of 2023) 4 × General-purpose machine guns^[source]
Aircraft carried	Type 054A: Harbin Z-9 C or Kamov Ka-28 'Helix' Type 054AG: Harbin Z-20 family helicopter including Z-20F anti-submarine version and the Z-20J naval utility version^[source]	1 × Wildcat HMA2 , armed with: 2 × anti-submarine torpedoes or Martlet anti-ship (ASM)/air-to-air missiles , initially deployed with RN carrier strike group helicopters in 2021; Sea Venom ASM reached initial operating capability in 2025 and is projected to achieve full operational capability in 2026. or 1 × Westland Merlin HM2 , armed with; 4 × anti-submarine torpedoes Plus 2 x Peregrine ISR UAV (from mid-2024 on F229)^[source]
Aviation facilities	hangar^[source]	Flight deck Enclosed hangar^[source]
Country of origin	People's Republic of China^[source] People's Republic of China^[source]	United Kingdom^[source]
Name	—	Type 23 frigate^[source]
Completed	—	16^[source]
Retired	—	8 (Royal Navy)^[source]
Boats & landing craft carried	—	2 × Pacific 24 RIBs^[source]

FORCETALLY

Loading the evidence…

Preparing your view.

Type 054A frigate

Type 23 frigate

Power

CODAD , 4 × SEMT Pielstick 16 PA 6V 280 STC diesels, 20.7 MW (28,200 hp) total, 2 shafts^[source]

CODLAG : 4 × 1,510 kW (2,025 hp) Paxman Valenta 12CM diesel generators (Non-PGMU ships) 4 × 1,650 kW (2,210 shp) MTU 12V4000 M53 diesel generators (PGMU ships) 2 × GEC electric motors delivering 2,980 kW (3,996 hp) each 2 × Rolls-Royce Marine Spey SM1C delivering 19,500 kW (26,150 hp)^[source]

Builders

Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard Huangpu Shipyard^[source]

Yarrow Shipbuilders and Swan Hunter^[source]

Operators

People's Liberation Army Navy China Coast Guard Pakistan Navy^[source]

Royal Navy Chilean Navy^[source]

Preceded by

Type 054 frigate^[source]

Type 22-class frigate^[source]

Succeeded by

Type 054B frigate^[source]

Type 26-class frigate Type 31-class frigate^[source]

Subclasses

Tughril class (Pakistan) Type 818 Cutter (China Coast Guard)^[source]

—

Cost

US$348 million (est. 2015)^[source]

£130 million per ship^[source]

Built

2005–present^[source]

—

In commission

2008–present^[source]

24 November 1987^[source]

Planned

50^[source]

16^[source]

Active

46^[source]

5 Royal Navy, 3 Chilean Navy^[source]

Type

Frigate^[source]

Anti-submarine warfare frigate^[source]

Sensors & processing systems

Type 382 Radar Type 344 Radar (Mineral-ME Band Stand ) target acquisition and SSM fire control radar 4 × MR-90 Front Dome SAM fire control radars MR-36A surface search radar, I-band Type 347G 76 mm gun fire control radar 2 × Racal RM-1290 navigation radars, I-band MGK-335 medium frequency active/passive sonar system H/SJG-206 towed array sonar ZKJ-4B/6 (developed from Thomson-CSF TAVITAC) combat data system HN-900 Data link (Chinese equivalent of Link 11 A/B, to be upgraded) SNTI-240 SATCOM AKD5000S Ku band SATCOM^[source]

—

Electronic warfare & decoys

2 × Type 726-4 18-tube decoy rocket launchers Type 922-1 radar warning receiver HZ-100 ECM & ELINT system Kashtan-3 missile jamming system^[source]

UAT Mod 1 Seagnat Type 182 towed torpedo decoy Surface Ship Torpedo Defence^[source]

Armament

1 × 32-cell H/AKJ-16 VLS HHQ-16 SAM Yu-8 anti-submarine missile 2 × 4 YJ-83 anti-ship missiles 1 × H/PJ-26 76 mm naval gun (Type 054A and Type 054A+) or 1 x H/PJ-87 100 mm naval gun (Type 054AG) 2 × 30 mm Type 730 7-barrel gun-based CIWS or Type 1130 11-barrel gun-based CIWS 2 × 3 324 mm Yu-7 torpedo launchers 2 × 6 Type 87 240mm anti-submarine rocket launcher^[source]

Anti-air missiles: 1 × 32-cell Sea Ceptor GWS 35 Vertical Launching System (VLS) canisters for 32 missiles (1–25+ km) (replaced original Sea Wolf SAM) Anti-ship missiles: 2 × quad Harpoon Block 1C (originally fit, retired from most ships 2023, retained on F229 as of late 2024); being replaced by Naval Strike Missile (fit to F79, F82 & F239 as of early 2025) Anti-submarine torpedoes: 2 × twin 12.75 in (324 mm) Sting Ray torpedo tubes Guns: 1 × BAE 4.5-inch Mk 8 naval gun 2 × 30 mm DS30M Mk2 guns , or , 2 × 30 mm DS30B guns 2 × Miniguns (replaced by Browning .50 caliber heavy machine guns as of 2023) 4 × General-purpose machine guns^[source]

Aircraft carried

Type 054A: Harbin Z-9 C or Kamov Ka-28 'Helix' Type 054AG: Harbin Z-20 family helicopter including Z-20F anti-submarine version and the Z-20J naval utility version^[source]

1 × Wildcat HMA2 , armed with: 2 × anti-submarine torpedoes or Martlet anti-ship (ASM)/air-to-air missiles , initially deployed with RN carrier strike group helicopters in 2021; Sea Venom ASM reached initial operating capability in 2025 and is projected to achieve full operational capability in 2026. or 1 × Westland Merlin HM2 , armed with; 4 × anti-submarine torpedoes Plus 2 x Peregrine ISR UAV (from mid-2024 on F229)^[source]

Aviation facilities

hangar^[source]

Flight deck Enclosed hangar^[source]

Country of origin

People's Republic of China^[source]

United Kingdom^[source]

Name

—

Type 23 frigate^[source]

Completed

—

16^[source]

Retired

—

8 (Royal Navy)^[source]

Boats & landing craft carried

—

2 × Pacific 24 RIBs^[source]